Looking for help with gameplan

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ol_ben
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Looking for help with gameplan

Unread postby ol_ben » Tue Oct 27, 2020 9:39 am

I have a really nice looking buck on camera several times, once late September, and once about 10 days ago (10/15). Both times he was headed west (left in the map below) past the camera at the red dot on a trail that runs just inside the trees along the marsh to the north. The trail is at the base of a slope that goes up about 10-12 feet to a relatively flat area that extends from just south of the red dot to where the trees end south of there. Both times were on a north wind, and both were barely into shooting hours in the morning, so my guess is at least in those circumstances he's bedding somewhere west of the stand of trees, possibly in the marshy stuff to the north, possibly in the trees or marsh further west.

I have not yet seen him on the hoof, and if at all possible I'd love to find him before rifle season (11/7). Either way I'll be after him or at least his bedding for future reference.

Anyway, I'm not totally sure where to start except maybe to get on the high ground in the CRP north of the marsh north of the red dot (camera) and do some morning/evening glassing to try to spot him. The only issue is there's not really a spot to do it from with great cover, but I guess maybe if I'm holding still that's ok. I've also thought about maybe throwing a sit at the wooded point that pokes out of the CRP to the south west of the trees my camera was in to see if I can see anything moving on edges there.

What else jumps to mind as possible actions to take?

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ol_ben
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Re: Looking for help with gameplan

Unread postby ol_ben » Tue Oct 27, 2020 9:41 am

ol_ben wrote:I have a really nice looking buck on camera several times, once late September, and once about 10 days ago (10/15). Both times he was headed west (left in the map below) past the camera at the red dot on a trail that runs just inside the trees along the marsh to the north. The trail is at the base of a slope that goes up about 10-12 feet to a relatively flat area that extends from just south of the red dot to where the trees end south of there. Both times were on a north wind, and both were barely into shooting hours in the morning, so my guess is at least in those circumstances he's bedding somewhere west of the stand of trees, possibly in the marshy stuff to the north, possibly in the trees or marsh further west.

I have not yet seen him on the hoof, and if at all possible I'd love to find him before rifle season (11/7). Either way I'll be after him or at least his bedding for future reference.

Anyway, I'm not totally sure where to start except maybe to get on the high ground in the CRP north of the marsh north of the red dot (camera) and do some morning/evening glassing to try to spot him. The only issue is there's not really a spot to do it from with great cover, but I guess maybe if I'm holding still that's ok. I've also thought about maybe throwing a sit at the wooded point that pokes out of the CRP to the south west of the trees my camera was in to see if I can see anything moving on edges there.

What else jumps to mind as possible actions to take?

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Rich M
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Re: Looking for help with gameplan

Unread postby Rich M » Tue Oct 27, 2020 10:15 pm

That's a pretty piece of land - that you are checking your cams frequently means you are out there a bit. Do some observation sits and see what you can come up with.

Watch the Public Land Challenge hunts 2018-2019-2020 and see the guys put their talk into action. Might help you formulate an approach on how to get that deer.
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ol_ben
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Re: Looking for help with gameplan

Unread postby ol_ben » Thu Oct 29, 2020 8:07 am

Rich M wrote:That's a pretty piece of land - that you are checking your cams frequently means you are out there a bit. Do some observation sits and see what you can come up with.

Watch the Public Land Challenge hunts 2018-2019-2020 and see the guys put their talk into action. Might help you formulate an approach on how to get that deer.


I've got two sits there this year and have only checked the camera those two times (sits have been close by, one late september, one late october), but I probably should have more observation time in. I just struggle with where to sit because while I found plenty of deer season in off season scouting I found almost no buck sign. I've also been tending to go to other spots more because I'd like a doe for the freezer and I can't shoot one here.

I've watched the public land challenges but I have no doubt I can pick some things up giving them another look.
Rich M
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Re: Looking for help with gameplan

Unread postby Rich M » Thu Oct 29, 2020 8:21 am

I'm more of a feet on the ground kind of hunter - not a lot of help really.

That point of land west of CRP jumps out as does the island of trees interconnected to the NE of the swamp.

You can always walk the transition and look for larger than normal tracks that would indicate larger bucks.

It kind of saps the energy but if you look for a place to do an observations where you can see as many different tree lines and tree areas as possible.


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